Percussive stroke down -- try muting the strings. Rest the ridge of your palm lightly against the strings by the bridge as you strum (especially if it's an open chord). The chord won't ring out that way and you'll just get a percussive effect.

Hammer-on and pull-off are techniques for legato phrasing. I'm going to give you a link to a site that has some video files for the basic technique:

I am terrible with percussive beats (I know, I know, I need to practice) but on this particular song the percussive beat seems to serve more purpose than just a percussive sound.
It mutes the previous chord cutting it short.
I have found that if I mute the strings where the percussive beat goes but skip actually playing the percussive beat it sound just perfect to me.

I know I'm about 3 years late in this thread, but I just read the It's Too Late lesson last night. Even in the recorded version, it sounds like her piano chords are muted, exactly where David has them. I've tried some palm muting a couple of times, and it was enough to tell me that boy do I need practice! I can't wait to be able to do it, because I am hearing it now in a lot of songs I've listened to for years (does that mean I'm becoming a musician? ). I guess the trick is to go very slowly and find just the right touch with the heel of the hand.

One thing I should point out on this lesson - the "piano riff" is an adaptation, meant to help beginners get the feel of being able to switch from chords to riff and back, not to mention get them comfortable with the idea of hammer-ons on the lower (bass) strings.

But the notes on this adaptation are not the same as the ones in the actual recording. If you want to use those instead, here they are:

Musenfreund wrote:
Try this for now
Play a C in the open position. Â Now lift your index finger. Â That's a C maj7 Â (don't strum the sixth string).

Play a C in the open position. Â Now pick up your middle and ring fingers and move them up a string while holding the shape, moving from the 5th and 4th strings to the 4th and 3rd. Â That's a an Fmaj7.

See if those work with the song. Â They're not the same voicings David shows but I think they'll work for you and are very easy transitions.

I think I'm waaay late but the way he explained Fmaj7 is wrong..

When moving from Cmaj7 to Fmaj 7 you have to put your index finger back on the 2nd string otherwise you won't get the C and then that wouldn't be F at all it would be... some other chord, wow now I am curious what chord would it be ?

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

When moving from Cmaj7 to Fmaj 7 you have to put your index finger back on the 2nd string otherwise you won't get the C and then that wouldn't be F at all it would be... some other chord, wow now I am curious what chord would it be ?

It would be cacophony. Fmaj7b5? Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it.

However, he did explain the Fmaj7 correctly. You start in the open C, with the index on the 2nd string at the first fret. That finger never moves, so no need to "put it back".

Musenfreund wrote:
Try this for now
Play a C in the open position. Â Now lift your index finger. Â That's a C maj7 Â (don't strum the sixth string).

Play a C in the open position. Â Now pick up your middle and ring fingers and move them up a string while holding the shape, moving from the 5th and 4th strings to the 4th and 3rd. Â That's a an Fmaj7.

See if those work with the song. Â They're not the same voicings David shows but I think they'll work for you and are very easy transitions.

I think I'm waaay late but the way he explained Fmaj7 is wrong..

When moving from Cmaj7 to Fmaj 7 you have to put your index finger back on the 2nd string otherwise you won't get the C and then that wouldn't be F at all it would be... some other chord, wow now I am curious what chord would it be ?

See up there it says lift your index finger, but I didn't notice under it it said Play a C in the open position, but I'm going to hunt down that chord to see if it is what u say.

Fmaj 7 b5 is an Fmaj7 with the 5th note flatted right, well I guess thats it O_O

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)